10 Tips for Your First Day of Work

Do Your Homework

A surefire way to impress your boss on the first day is to show up with a clear understanding of what the company does. Thanks to the Internet, this is a cinch. Read your company's Web site, its clients' Web sites and any recent news articles about them [source: Vogt]. You can even set up an e-mail alert through Google News to notify you when stories hit the press about your employer or your industry in general [source: Weiss]. You don't have to spout out all this info at will, but it will keep you from saying something stupid in front of the higher-ups.

If your boss is an impressive figure, read up on him or her, too. But don't be creepy about it and throw odd facts back at them: "Hey, how are your two children named Michael and Anna, ages seven and five?" Now you're a stalker. Know the line -- and toe it carefully.